Thai PM gives Covid curfew powers to individual provinces

Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is giving individual provinces the power to set curfews and other measures to contain the spread of Covid-19. PM Prayut’s Facebook page also details new guidelines for the management of hospital beds to make sure that all who are infected with the virus have access to treatment, and screening to determine whether they should be admitted to a general hospital, a field hospital, or a hospitel. The measures also give guidelines for the recruitment of volunteers to help with the influx of hotline calls.

Authorities are also mulling whether to decrease the required period of quarantine time inside a hospital, for asymptomatic cases, from 14 to 10 days, with the remaining 4 days to be in at-home isolation. Bangkok is seeing new restrictions as many entertainment venues including theme parks, zoos, waterparks, game arcades, public swimming pools, racetracks and boxing stadiums are being ordered to shutter. Department stores, hair salons, public parks, convenience stores will also see a decrease in allowed operating hours. All new measures are to start a minute past midnight tonight.

Face masks are now being required in 31 Thai provinces with a fine of 20,000 baht going to those who don’t wear them. Chiang Rai is one of the new provinces to be included in the list, but so far, Chiang Mai is being left out. As daily Covid-19 infections have reached an all-time high, it is only a matter of time when the whole nation will be required to wear face masks or face a fine.

Below, is a list of provinces that are currently requiring face masks to be worn when going outside. As the amount of Covid infections is rising, the list is surely to expand.

NORTHERN:

• Chiang Rai
• Phetchabun
• Phrae
• Lampun
• Sukhothai
• Tak
• Uttaradit

NORTHEAST:

• Chaiyaphum
• Maha Sarakham
• Mukdahan
• Nong Khai
• Si Sa Ket
• Surin
• Ubon Ratchathani
• Udon Thani
• Yasothon

CENTRAL AND EAST:

• Ang Thong
• Ayutthaya
• Kanchanaburi
• Phetchaburi
• Prachin Buri
• Rayong
• Samut Sakhon
• Suphan Buri

SOUTH:

• Narathiwat
• Pattani
• Phangnga
• Phatthalung
• Phuket
• Ranong
• Satun
• Surat Thani
• Trang

For those provinces not listed above, a fine of up to 4,000 baht can be levied against those who fail to wear masks in public, under the Communicable Disease Act.

Today, there are another 2,438 new Covid-19 infections. The number is a slight drop on Saturday’s total of 2,839 new infections. But Sunday’s totals are often lower due to the reporting from provinces.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World